Cancer of the breast can be diagnosed by:
Medical history
A medical history helps your doctor to assess your risk of cancer. Your doctor will ask
you for your family history of breast cancer, your menstrual history and the physical
characteristics of your breast lump.
Palpation of a breast lump
Your doctor will perform a physical examination of your breast to detect the
location, size and general condition of your breast lump and lymph nodes.
Mammogram
Your doctor may request for you to go for a mammogram. This is an X-ray of the
breast and is the most helpful technique for detecting breast cancer that are too
small to be felt. A plate-like device is used to flatten your breast to provide a clear
image of the breast. The mammogram can give the doctor important information
about a breast lump. If an area on the mammogram looks suspicious or is not clear,
additional X-rays may be needed.
Ultrasound
An ultrasound of the breast uses high-frequency sound waves to show whether a
breast lump is solid or filled with fluid. This examination may be done together with
mammography.
Needle biopsy
Your doctor uses a fine needle to remove some cells from a breast lump and
examines them under a microscope to check for the presence of cancer cells.
Sometimes a larger needle may be used to remove a core tissue from a solid lump.
|
Each breast has 6-9 overlapping sections
called lobes. Each lobe comprises many
smaller lobules, which ends in dozens of
tiny bulbs that can produce milk. Thin
tubes, called ducts, link all the lobes,
lobules, and bulbs. These ducts lead to
the nipple in the centre of a dark area of
skin called the areola. Fat fills the spaces
around the lobules and ducts. There are
no muscles in the breast, but muscles lie
under each breast and cover the ribs.
Each breast contains blood vessels
and vessels that carry colourless fluid
called lymph. The lymph vessels lead
to small bean-shaped structures called
lymph nodes. Clusters of lymph nodes
are found in the axilla (under the arm),
above the collarbone and in the chest.
Lymph nodes are also found in many
other parts of the body.
